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One of the main reasons that the mortality rate for African Americans remains disparately high for heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes is because we too often delay going to the doctor for symptoms or regular checkups. By the time we go, the health condition is sometimes worse. Dr. Louis Sullivan, former U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services and founder of the Morehouse School of Medicine, knows the negative health habits of many African Americans. He says sometimes we don’t go …

You better shop around. For holiday gifts? No, for a 2016 health insurance plan on the federal marketplace, healthcare.gov. Millions of consumers who are enrolled this year could pay higher rates if they stay in the same health plan next year, according to a study released Wednesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Read the latest exercise and memory-sharpening tips, health care reform and more! — AARP Health Newsletter » The KFF analysis found that in nearly three-quarters of counties in 36 states served …

AARP encourages Americans to review their health insurance options during the Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period that started Sunday. Open enrollment (from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31) is an important opportunity for consumers to find a plan that could save them more money, offer better services, or include more of their doctors. Since the Affordable Care Act’s first open enrollment period in 2013, the uninsured rate for pre-Medicare Americans between the ages of 50 and 64 has dropped …

Last week’s Supreme Court affirmation of the Affordable Care Act is good news for the 6.4 million Americans who stood to lose their health insurance if the decision had gone the other way. But it doesn’t improve matters for those with hearing loss. The ACA, unlike Medicare, does not specifically exclude coverage for hearing aids. In fact, the ACA does not specifically exclude any coverage: It was written in a positive way, delineating several categories of benefits that must be included in …

Some 6.4 million Americans in states relying on the healthcare.gov federal insurance exchange will continue to receive subsidies for coverage after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 25 that the Affordable Care Act allows such financial support. The law’s supporters applauded the court’s decision. “The ACA’s goals of improving affordability and removing barriers to access for health insurance have been critical in reducing the number of uninsured Americans,” said Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP. “Importantly, for older Americans, we …